Ore concentrator



March 31, 1936. .1 F. NOEL ORE CONCENTRATOR Filed Sept. 6, 1933 PatentedMar. 3l, 1933 UNITED STATES ET oFFiE 5 Claims.

'Ihis invention relates to improvements in gravity concentrators andmore particularly to a gold saving device for use in placer mining.

The primary object of the invention is to combine with a riflle sluicebox anovel vibrating system that is free to vibrate vertically butopposes any tendency of the flow of water to close the spaces orvertical columns between the vibrating system and the riilles.

Another object is toI combine with a rile sluice box substantially fiatsurfaces forming part of a vibrating system and which are rapidly movedperpendicularly to said surfaces to prevent suspended material frompacking in the sluice way and to allow the full carrying capacity of thewater to be exerted and to permit the material too heavy to be raised bythe given velocity of the water to settle back into the bottom of thecavities between the riies.

With the foregoing objects outlined and with other objects in View whichwill appear as the description proceeds, the invention consists in thenovel features hereinafter described in detail, illustrated in theaccompanying drawing and more particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

In the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation partly in vertical 1ongitudinal section of arile sluice box shown combined with one form of my vibrating system.

Fig. 2 is an end view of the same.

Figs. 3 and 4 are side elevations respectively, partly in section, ofmodifications of details.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates the side walls of the sluice boxwhich may be formed of channel-irons. A removable bottom 6 to facilitatecleaning the box is detachably secured to the side walls by any suitablemeans such as bolts 'I, each of which may be pivotally connected at 8 tothe bottom and may enter a notch 9 in the lower wing I0 of thechannel-iron. Thumb-nuts II which are threaded on the bolts may rest onthe wings III for the purpose of clamping the bottom to the side Wallsof the sluice way.

Riiiies I2 which are spaced from one another and extend across thebottom portion of the sluice Way, may be secured either to the sidewalls 5 or to the bottom 6 and I prefer to place a mat I3 of soft rubberor the like on the upper surface of the bottom to prevent leakagebetween the parts 5 and Ill.

While I prefer to use a sluice way of the above described character, itwill be evident to those versed in this subject that my improvedvibrating system may be employed with other and conventional types ofrile sluice ways.

The vibrating system consists of a supporting structure I4 from whichdepends transverse bars I5 which extend into the cavities I6 between theriilies. The bars are vertically guided by the side walls of the sluicebox. The bars I5 have lower substantially iiat surfaces I'I that arearranged substantially parallel to the bottom of the sluice way and arereciprocated in a path perpendicular to said surfaces by any suitablemeans. For example, the supporting structure I4 may be suspended frombrackets I8 which are hung on a rotatable shaft I9 by eccentrics 20which during the movement of the shaft act to vertically reciprocate thebars i5. In order that this movement may be a resilient one, leafsprings 2I extend across the sluice way and have their ends secured tobrackets 22 that are fastened to the upper wings 23 of the sides of thesluice Way. Each leaf spring has its medial portion connected by afastening device, such as a bolt 24, to a bracket 25 that is fixed tothe supporting structure I4.

In operation, as the water, suspended material and heavy material passalong the sluice Away, the bars I5 rapidly reciprocate in the cavitiesI6 and this agitation functions to keep the lighter materials suspendedin the water as the water travels through the sluice way, and while thematerials are also agitated the action is such that such heavy materialsbecome lodged in the cavities I6. Consequently the materials areprevented from clogging the columns 26 of the cavities on the downstreamsides of the bars I5. In other words rapid motion of the surfaces IIperpendicular to those surfaces, prevents the suspended material frompacking and allows the full carrying capacity of the water to beexerted. At the same time in the columns 26, the material is sorted andthat which is too heavy to be raised by the given velocity of the watersettles back on to the bottom of the cavities I6.

Instead of using bars as shown at I5, each of these elements, asillustrated in Fig. 4, may take the form of an L-shaped leg I5a formedof any suitable metal. The upper end of each leg will be secured asshown at I5b to the supporting structure I4a and the lower end of theleg will provide a substantially flat surface I'Ia which is theequivalent of the surface I1.

Again, the bar may take the form shown in Fig. 3. In this gure theL-shaped leg I5c will have a relatively short foot I5d to which issecured a plate I 5e having a substantially at undersurface I'Ib.

It will be noted in both of the modifications that the rifties I2a arethicker than shown in Fig. 1 so that they resemble more closelyconventional riies.

The form of the invention shown in Fig. 3 is not so efiicacious as theones in the other figures as materials tend to pack on the plate I5d atthe downstream side of the leg l5c.

It is believed that the most` important point of my invention is themovement of the undersulfaces of the bars perpendicularly to thosesurfaces, as this creates disturbances below said surfaces. Suchdisturbances prevent the suspended material from settling in proportionto the energy of the action. A strong action will keep heavier materialsuspended than will a weak one. The material suspended and wellsurrounded by water is now in a much more favorable position to be actedupon by a current across the faces of the surfaces I1, Ila, Hb, than thesame material at rest on the bottom of the sluice box. Such currentmoves the suspended material into what may beltermed the sorting columns26 where the material light enough for the given velocity of the wateris carried up and over the following riflie v while the material tooheavy to be thus carried,

settles back.

The material mechanically prevented from settling, and, distributedevenly through the water under the surfaces I1, Ha., Hb, allows the useof -the correct velocity of water to properly sort the material in thecavities I6, whereas if the material is allowed to settle, a very muchgreater velocity would be necessary to start it moving again and thatincreased velocity would be too great to properly sort the material inthe cavities. Thus the action increases the eiiiciency of the water andby allowing a closer regulation of the velocity of the water, results ina more accurate division of the material.

While I have disclosed what I now consider to be preferred embodimentsof the invention in such manner that the same may be readily understoodby those skilled in the art, I am aware that changes may be made in thedetails disclosed without departing from the Vspirit of the invention asexpressed in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination with a sluice box provided with transverse riiileswhich divide the bottom portion of the box into a series of transversechannels, of transverse bars depending into said channels and extendinglengthwise of the channels substantially the entire width of the sluicebox, said bars having lower surfaces, and means for vibrating said barsin paths arranged substantially perpendicularly to said surfaces, eachof said surfaces being substantially flat throughout the length of eachbar and arranged parallel to the bottom of the sluice box.

2.. The combination with a sluice box provided with transverse riffleswhich divide the bottom portion of the box into a series of transversechannels, of transverse bars depending into said channels and havinglower surfaces, and means for vibrating said bars in paths arrangedsubstantially perpendicularly to said surfaces, the last mentioned meansincluding resilient elements for imparting a springy action to the bars.

3'. The combination with a sluice box provided with transverse riffleswhich divide the bottom portion of the box into a series oftransversechannels, of transverse bars depending into said channels andhaving lower surfaces, and means for vibrating said bars in pathsarranged substantially perpendicularly to said surfaces, the lastmentioned means comprising a supporting structure for the bars, bracketscarrying the supporting structure, a turnable shaft, eccentrics on theshaft and engaging the brackets, and leaf springs for yieldinglyresisting movements of the supporting structure.

4. The combination with a sluice box provided with transverse riiiieswhich divide the bottom portion of the box into a series of transversechannels, of transverse bars depending into said channels and extendinglengthwise of the channels substantially the entire width of the sluicebox, said bars having lower surfaces, and means for vibrating said barsin paths arranged substantially perpendicularly to said surfaces, eachbar being in the form of a substantially L- shaped leg and having aplate secured to the foot thereof, said plate projecting on both sidesof said leg, and extending substantially the entire width of thechannel.

5. The combination with a sluice box provided with transverse riieswhich divide the bottom portion of the box into a series of transversechannels, of transverse bars depending into said channels and extendinglengthwise of the channels substantially the entire width of the sluicebox, said bars having lower surfaces, and means for vibrating said barsin paths arranged wholly perpendicularly to said surfaces, each barbeing in the form of an L-shaped leg, and substantially flatthroughoutits undersurface.

JAMES F. NOEL.

